Half a Million Bees Killed in Dutch Fire Incident.
A Dutch beekeeper has voiced dismay after his ten colonies were set ablaze in a park in the central city of Almere, causing the death of an estimated half a million bees.
The beekeeper stated that every colony contained a population of forty to sixty thousand bees, and the idea that someone could kill them was devastating.
"It is deeply painful that my 10 hives have died," he told local broadcaster.
Police in Almere, which sits to the east of Amsterdam, have appealed for witnesses after the deliberate fire on Tuesday evening in the city's scenic Beatrixpark. They posted images of the fire on online platforms.
The Dutch government reports that over 50% of the country's 360 types of bee are at risk of extinction, as the population of bees decreases globally.
The beekeeper explained that police had informed him an accelerant had been employed to burn the hives, which were sitting on pallets in a wooded part of the park.
Barely any of the insects survived and he said that he had doubt the perpetrator would be apprehended.
Another apiarist a local beekeeper stated on national radio that she had three bee colonies and planned to give him one of them.
For the beekeeper, who looked after the bees for about almost a decade, the incident means starting a new colony in the area from scratch.
But he affirms he will continue his efforts.
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